Saving Starlight
by Lucy Dreyar 4 Life
Summary: When Laxus finds Lucy in bad shape, he vows to stay by her side and help her find her way back to the light. Unfortunately, somebody is still after Lucy and hell bent on breaking Laxus's vow to protect her. Will they fall in love or fall to their enemies? (Post GMG/Pre-Tartaros)
1. Chapter 1

Laxus had come to accept that his guild was full of drunks, perverts and downright crazy people and the current state of the guildhall happened to reinforce that acceptance. They had finally finished the weeks' worth of partying and drinking that followed winning the Grand Magic Games when Natsu and Lisanna had finally announced their relationship, which of course spurred on more partying and drinking. The party itself was of little to no interest to the lightning slayer. Sure, he was happy for Ash Breath and the poor girl who had agreed to date him, but socialising just wasn't his thing. Instead, he leant on the balcony to the second floor and watched over his guildmates. Bickslow was complaining about how another babe had been taken off the market whilst Freed was creating a lesson plan for Natsu on how to properly court a Strauss woman, something he believed he had superior knowledge of due to his girlfriend being Mirajane Strauss. Evergreen was currently consoling Elfman who kept shouting that his little sister getting a man wasn't manly at all and Mira could be seen behind the bar with hearts in her eyes, a crowd surrounding her, debating how it was even biologically possible. Laxus could see a flash of blue hair and red eyes in the darkest corner of the guild and grinned at the secret, not so secret, couple that was Levy and Gajeel, both pretending to pay attention to anything that wasn't the person next to them. He watched Erza demolishing cake at a rate any dragon slayer would be envious of, Cana drowning herself in her current barrel and Gray stripping next to her with Juvia stalking from behind the nearest pillar. Most of Laxus's attention, however, was drawn to a certain head of blonde hair sitting at the bar, watching in much the same way he was.

Lucy Heartfilia had caught his attention from the beginning, back when he was a complete dick, before he'd been excommunicated. He winced as he remembered offering to help against Phantom Lord under the condition she become his girl and then turning her to stone during Fantasia. Back then, he'd only seen her as a spoilt blonde bimbo who would happen to look good moaning beneath him in his bed. How wrong he'd been. Ever since Gildarts had let him come back, he just couldn't seem to stop watching her. She was light personified, truly earning her the nickname 'The Light of Fairy Tail'. Lucy was kindness, happiness, strength and love all encompassed in a knock-out body with the most incredible 36-24-36 body ratio Laxus had ever seen. She was, essentially, perfect. Or at least she was in his opinion. She had been the first to welcome him back without the slightest hint of fear or hatred and he had heard from the Raijinshuu that she was the only one who made the effort to befriend them after Fantasia, regardless of the fact Evergreen had turned her to stone and Bickslow had tried to kill her. Ever since Tenrou, he had watched her, listening out for her voice, waiting for the scent of strawberries and vanilla to enter the guild when he knew she was on a mission. He had tried to convince himself that he was just watching out for a guildmate or at the very least it was only a small crush. Laxus Dreyar did not fall in love and that was final. The only people who knew about his slight obsession with the Celestial mage were his team and all of them had been sworn to secrecy. Not that there was a secret to keep anyway.

Tonight, however, Lucy didn't have her normal smile. He watched as people came up to her with pity in their eyes, most in the guild still under the impression she was in love with the fire idiot but he knew better. With every sympathetic look and soft voice her frustration grew. He could see her eye twitch slightly in annoyance and her smile become more fake with every conversation. Each time she got a moment of peace he could see her rub her temples, trying to sooth the growing headache that came hand in hand with Fairy Tail. Laxus watched her repeating this pattern for the next hour before she finally gave up. With a wave to Mira, the blonde began weaving her way through the current brawl, dodging chairs and ducking under flying glasses on her way to the exit. He watched as she stopped to hug and congratulate one half of the happy couple, the other being the instigator of the brawl. She quickly gave her goodbye to Lisanna and exited the guild, and with her departure went most of Laxus's interest watching the rest of the guild. He turned up his soundpods and closed his eyes, enjoying the sudden peace that came with his actions.

It was about half an hour later that he left the guild himself, after being hit in the face with some stray debris and electrocuting most of his nakama as compensation. His heavy coat kept him warm as he walked deeper into Magnolia. The chill of winter was finally starting to set in and he could see his breath fog in front of him. He pitied anyone left outside tonight. The streets of Magnolia were quiet, save for the distant sounds of the party he'd just left, and empty of people. Laxus wasn't surprised. It was close to three in the morning after all. Taking his usual route towards his home in the East Forest, Laxus found himself only a couple of streets away from Strawberry Street where he knew the little Celestial mage lived. He knew there were other routes home but his favourite had quite easily become the one that passed Blondie's place. It was longer but he didn't mind the detour and he wasn't going to question why he liked it so much. It was only a couple of houses down when he began to smell it. The strong scent of strawberries and vanilla mixed with a shit tonne of copper and iron. He would know that smell anywhere. Laxus quickly ran towards her house, following the stench of blood and burst through her front door.

"Shit, Lucy!"


	2. Chapter 2

Standing in the doorway of Lucy's apartment, Laxus saw red. Literally. There was blood everywhere, smeared on the walls, soaking the fabric of her overturned sofa and a puddle of the stuff almost reaching to where he stood. And in the middle of it all was Lucy.

"Shit, Lucy!" Laxus ran towards her, dropping to his knees next to her small frame. Almost every inch of her was covered in cuts, bruises and her own lifeblood, her clothes shredded and only just protecting her modesty. Listening closely, he could barely make out her heartbeat but it was there, incredibly faint and weak, slowly losing its pace, but it was there, and her chest was hardly moving.

"Hey, Blondie, c'mon wake up! Lucy? Can you hear me? Shit, shit, shit!" Laxus glanced around the room, a brief part of him suddenly realised this was the first time he'd been here and how perfectly it seemed to suit her. It was quaint and homely, a bit too much pink for his liking but it was perfect for her. He quickly pushed that thought to the back of his mind as he looked for either something to staunch the flow of blood or a communication lacrima. Seeing nothing, Laxus tore his coat from his shoulders and wrapped Lucy in it as gently as he could, trying not to further damage her arm and legs which were bent at unnatural angles, something he knew meant they were broken. Just as he was about to lift her, he noticed her keys on the ground next to her. He grabbed them and shoved them into his pocket before lifting her from the puddle that had started to congeal beneath her. He briefly considered lightning teleporting them to the hospital but dismissed the idea as he ran from the building. He wasn't sure she could survive travelling with his magic in her condition.

Sprinting through the streets of Magnolia, Laxus pushed down his rising panic and the gnawing pain in his chest, only focusing on getting Lucy some help before it was too late. He turned the last corner and could see the hospital looming ahead when his heart froze. Lifting her slightly as he ran, Laxus listened for the beat of her heart and quickened his pace as he couldn't hear it.

"C'mon, Blondie, stay with me! We're almost there, just hold on a little longer, please!" The doors to the emergency room were only a few steps ahead of them now, "I won't let you give up. C'mon you stupid woman, breathe!" Just as they crossed the threshold, Laxus sent a shock of electricity towards her heart and almost collapsed as he heard the resulting heartbeat, still dangerously slow but it was there. "Help! I need help here!" Almost as soon as he yelled into the empty ER, a gurney was rolled in front of him and a barrage of doctors and nurses were trying to take Lucy from his arms. A low growl built in his throat at the thought of someone taking her from him but the logical part of his brain quickly took action, releasing his grip on the injured woman. In mere seconds, she was out of sight, the double doors across the room slamming shut behind her.

Laxus just stood there. He didn't care that he was covered in blood or that he couldn't quite breathe as panic overtook him. He just kept thinking 'please don't let her die'. It took a few minutes before he realised someone was gently shaking him.

"Sir? Are you okay? Sir, I need you to take deep breaths." He followed the voices instructions and slowly felt himself return to his surroundings. He blinked a few times and turned to see a concerned nurse with her hand on his arm. "That's good, just keep breathing. Come and take a seat over here while I grab you some water." She led him over to a row of uncomfortable plastic chairs and let him drop heavily into one. Through the shock he registered her leaving his side as he plastered his eyes on the door Lucy had been taken through. He jumped slightly as a cup entered his vision and took the offered liquid from the nurse.

"What's-" Laxus cleared his throat and tried again, his voice still shaking and hoarse, "What's going to happen to her?"

The nurse gave him a pitiful smile, "The doctors will do all they can to stabilise her and help her but in the meantime, I'm going to need you to help fill out a few details for me, okay?" Laxus nodded his head and waited for her to pull out a pen. "Firstly, my name is Kerrie. Can you tell me yours?"

Normally Laxus would be angry at being treated like a child but at this moment he couldn't help be thankful for it. Swallowing down his instinct to rush after the blonde, he took a small sip of his water and followed it with another deep breath. "Laxus. Laxus Dreyar." The nurse smiled at him.

"Nice to meet you Laxus. Can you tell me the name of your friend and what happened?"

"Lucy Heartfilia. I don't know what happened. I found her like that in her apartment. She's my guildmate. I was just passing and I smelt the blood." He quickly braced his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands, "Oh God, there was just so much blood."

Kerrie gently patted him on his back, "Is there anything we should know for medical reasons? Any allergies or recent illnesses? Is there any family members we can contact?"

Laxus shook his head, "I don't know. She gets injuries from jobs a lot but nothing this bad. I don't know about allergies or anything and she has no family left. Fairy Tail is her family." He sat up and looked at Kerrie. "Have you got a comm' lacrima? Our guildmaster, he has all that sort of information and we have a healer at our guild. She might be able to help." Kerrie left briefly after jotting down some notes on her clipboard and returned with a communication lacrima for him.

"I'll be just over there. Your healer is Wendy Marvell, correct? She already has clearance at this hospital so it shouldn't be a problem for her to come and help." After getting confirmation, Kerrie left him to make his call. Laxus brought his hand up to run through his hair, vaguely noticing they were covered in Lucy's blood. Taking a deep breath, Laxus pushed some magic into the lacrima and waited for an answer.

Suddenly the face of his grandfather appeared, glaring at him. "Laxus, what do you-" His voice cut off as he took in the haggard appearance of his grandson. "My boy, what happened?"

"Jiji, I need you to get Wendy and bring her to the hospital. I found Blondie in her apartment. Gramps, she's in really bad shape. The docs need her medical info and Wendy needs to get here ASAP."

Master Makarov looked shocked at what Laxus had just told him, "Laxus, how bad is she?"

"Damn Gramps, can't this wait, she needs help now!" His grandfather just looked at him until he continued, "Look from what I can tell she lost a lot of blood and most of her limbs were broken. She…she…Jiji, her heart stopped. I had to shock her to get her going again but I don't know if she's going to make it." Something splashed on the lacrima in his hands and Laxus took a moment to realise he was crying, something he hadn't done since Fantasia.

"Okay, son. I'll get Wendy and we'll get there as soon as we can."

"Thanks, Gramps. Can you…can you bring the Raijinshuu with you? Just don't tell her team. They deserve to celebrate a little longer and there's nothing they can do here yet anyway." A quick nod from his grandfather was all he got before the lacrima went dark. Laxus placed it on the chair next to him and leaned back, refocusing on the double doors in front of him, waiting for the Fairy Tail mages to arrive.

"Blondie, you better not die on me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the delay. My Grandpa passed away recently and I've only just been able to get round to writing this chapter. I want to say thank you so much for those who have favourited/followed/reviewed and I really hope you all enjoy this new chapter!**

* * *

Freed was standing at the bar of his guildhall when he was pulled forward. The party had started clearing out a short while ago and only a select few were left. He was talking with his girlfriend when he was yanked forward, Makarov pulling him away by his cravat. He was about to protest until he saw the look of fear in his guild master's face.

"Raijinshuu and Wendy! With me now!" Freed looked back to see Evergreen leaving Elfman's side and Bickslow moving Cana from his lap to follow. Wendy hopped down from her seat with Gajeel and Levy and ran up to them, Carla hovering above her. They all fell into step as they left the guildhall, exchanging questioning glances with each other. Freed was starting to feel his airways being blocked off when Makarov mercifully released his cravat. He took in a few gulps of air before Freed decided he needed answers.

"Master, what has happened?" The small entourage almost froze at the amount of pain in their guild master's watery eyes. Freed vaguely registered the direction they were headed and a pit formed deep in his stomach.

"My children, it would seem tonight one of our own was attacked." Wendy and Evergreen gasped as Bickslow scowled at this news, "I received news that our dear Lucy has been brutally assaulted in her own home. Wendy, you are needed at the hospital to get her stabilised and healed as best you can. I do not know the extent of her injuries but I do know that she is gravely wounded and her heart has given out at least once. Carla, would be able to take Wendy ahead?" Carla gave a stern nod and with a barely discernible sniffle, she grabbed the back of a sobbing Wendy's dress and flew in the direction of the hospital as fast as she could. Once they were out of sight, Bickslow spoke up, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Gramps, we all love Cosplayer and trust me, I'd happily die for her but why are we going? Shouldn't you be getting Team Natsu to go with you? Why us?" They were more than halfway there when Freed spotted something on the ground near the junction to Strawberry Street. He glanced up at locked eyes with a pale Ever. She'd seen it too. If there was this much blood here, what the hell happened to Lucy?

"There is nothing they can do for her at this time and I would not want such a burden to befall them whilst they are celebrating. As for why you are here, Lucy was found by-"

"Laxus." Freed interrupted. It was easy to figure out in all actuality. Lucy was hurt but the Raijinshuu were being called to her side instead of Team Natsu. Of course Laxus had to be the one to find her.

At Freed's answer, Ever and Bickslow paled and started running towards the hospital. Freed grabbed Gramps by his collar, pushing down the slight satisfaction that came from avenging his cravat, and hoisted the small man onto his shoulders before taking off after his teammates. If Lucy really was in such a bad state, who knows what condition Laxus would be in when they found him.

'Please let her live,' Freed thought as he sprinted towards the hospital, 'I don't know if Laxus will survive without her.'

* * *

Laxus had been staring at the doors ever since his grandfather had hung up. He vaguely registered the small Sky Dragon Slayer rush past through those doors and the grumpy white cat sit next to him, grumbling about how animals weren't allowed in the operating theatres, but other than that all he saw was those doors. He couldn't help but think this was both good and bad news. Good because Wendy was here. She could help Lucy and heal her better than anyone, maybe even the Old Hag, but…bad? Was she really injured so badly that she needed to be operated on? He'd seen some of her injuries but he had no clue what internal ones she had. Laxus swallowed thickly, trying to breathe enough that he wasn't going to puke on the waiting room floor. His heart was beating too fast, hurting as if someone had shoved a hot poker into him. He didn't want to live in a world without her in it.

"Laxus!" he fought to rip his eyes away from their focus point and looked over to see his team with his Gramps being lifted off Freed's shoulders. Normally Laxus would have made a joke or snide comment about his grandfather being carried like a toddler but he just couldn't right now.

"Gramps, she-" Laxus barely croaked out before a sob wrenched from his throat and he buried his head again.

Makarov looked at the Raijinshuu, shock etched in his features but they just watched their leader with pained expressions. Freed caught his eyes before shaking his head and moving towards his friend. Makarov frowned, not liking the feeling of being left out of something so obviously important but he couldn't watch his grandson crying like he did when he lost his mother. Instead, Makarov moved to the desk where a solitary nurse had been watching the group and began to discuss the status of his favourite child, providing any information that could help her.

Laxus felt a small paw pat his leg before Carla moved away and Freed took her seat beside him, Bickslow taking the chair to his right. Evergreen said something about finding coffee and wandered off with Carla who knew the hospital like the back of her hand from helping Wendy.

"Boss? How is she?" Bicks was the first to break the silence, resting his hand on Laxus's shoulder. He lifted his head and Bickslow did the only thing he could think of at the unbearable pain in his best friend's face. He knew there was a 50/50 chance he was about to get shocked so hard, he'd never bare children but he thought he should try. He hugged him.

Laxus stiffened as arms wrapped around him. He'd been hugged only a few times in his life and most of them had ended with a twitching friend on the floor but right now? He wrapped his arms around Bickslow and sobbed into his shoulder.

"Laxus, what happened? Master only told us that Miss Lucy was hurt and that you had found her." Freed asked. Laxus took a shuddering breath and released his hold on the Seith Mage, both nodding slightly in agreement that the hug was a onetime thing, never to be spoken of again. He took the coffee offered to him by Evergreen who handed out the rest of the drinks and sat with Carla in her lap, both waiting to hear the answer to Freed's question.

"I honestly don't know. I was just headed home and I smelt blood in her apartment. And I found her there." Laxus frowned, trying to think of any details that stood out amongst the blood and Lucy. "I don't remember much but her apartment was kinda trashed. Her couch was flipped and I think there were some broken glasses or some shit but I…She was just…" They all nodded in understanding and quickly fell into silence.

* * *

It was about an hour later when an exhausted Wendy fell through the ER doors. Laxus was standing up before anyone could blink and ran forward to catch the exhausted girl. She smiled gratefully up at him and nodded towards the chair. She could see the fear in his eyes and immediately knew Gajeel had been right. Lucy was his mate and he had no idea. Once seated, Wendy looked at the worried faces of the Raijinshuu, Master and Carla. She knew she had Lucy's blood on her clothes and that probably wasn't helping Laxus but she at least had good news to share.

"She's alive and stable." A collective sigh of relief echoed in the room, "She has two broken legs, her right arm was fractured and her shoulder dislocated. She had three cracked ribs and one had punctured her lung. Her spleen was ruptured and we had to transfuse a lot of blood. I was able to fix her internal injuries, but I need more magic before I try to fix the rest. She was lucky though. One of her cuts almost sliced her aorta and it wouldn't have mattered how fast Laxus got her here. She would have died before he found her." A whimper came from the Slayer standing next to her but nobody was really paying attention. They were all ashen faced and most were crying. Wendy felt sleep begin to tug at her as the events of the evening finally sank in. "She might need Porlyusica to check her though. Her magic containers were almost empty. They're moving her to a room in the ICU but the doctor said only two people can see her right now." Wendy barely had time to slur out the last word before she collapsed on the chair.

Evergreen wiped away her tears before tugging at Freed's jacket, "Freed?" He looked down at her and noticed she was trying to pull his coat off. Releasing himself from its confines, Ever made her way over to the small girl and draped it over her, taking her own coat off and bundling it up under the girl's head.

Makarov allowed a small smile at the kind action before turning to where his grandson was standing a few moments ago, "Did anyone see where Laxus went?"

* * *

Laxus had left the room as soon Wendy had stopped speaking. He followed Lucy's scent down the winding halls of the hospital before he came to a stop in front of Room 394. With each injury listed, Laxus had felt his heart shatter a little more, his inner voice roaring in agony, and as soon as she had mentioned visitors his legs had started moving on their own. Now he was here though, he froze. Flashes of Lucy lying in a pool of her own blood, of her heart stopping and her small frame disappearing behind those double doors flooded his memories. He didn't think he could stand seeing her so small and fragile. She was supposed to be a strong warrior goddess, tearing down her enemies and evoking awe in everyone around her. Before he could make up his mind, his body moved, grasping the door handle and pushing it open. He stepped inside and softly closed the door behind him, keeping his eyes on the floor. Her scent flooded him, seeping out from the overwhelming odour of cleaning products and hospital smell. Beeping reached his ears, indicating a steady heartbeat and a slight whooshing as a machine helped her breathe better. Laxus made his way to the side of her bed, wanting to keep his eyes averted but something inside him needed to see her. Make sure she really was here and alive.

Lifting his head, Laxus took in Lucy's image. Her skin was still pale but her cheeks were slightly flushed from the blood transfusion and her eyes had slight bags underneath them. Her golden hair flared out around her head and some of it was trapped under the strap of her ventilator. Laxus gently brushed the silky strands back until they were free before moving his hand to her cheek and lightly stroked her soft skin. He quickly drew the chair behind him closer with his foot and sat before taking Lucy's uninjured hand in his, not stopping the gentle caress as he did.

"Lucy, I don't know if you can hear me, but I promise you this. I will find whoever did this and I will kill them. No one will ever hurt you ever again, I won't let them. Just please, wake up soon. I'll be right here waiting, just come back to me." Laxus sat there taking in every detail of her beautiful face, rubbing soothing circles on her hand and whispering pleas to her. He didn't even notice his grandfather standing in the open doorway, crying softly as he watched his grandson begging the Celestial Mage to wake up for him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Another delay in updating. I'm so sorry! I've had some stuff to deal with lately including getting an essay in for uni and dealing with funeral arrangements. Updates will probably be slow leading up to Christmas so please bear with me.**

 **I can't believe over 100 people have followed this story! I'm so grateful and I'll do my best to make sure you continue to enjoy it. Thank you, fairies!**

* * *

Laxus growled as he tried to ignore whoever was shaking him awake, trying to bury deeper into the soft warmth that caressed his cheek. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweet smell of vanilla and strawberries. He purred at the scent and a giggle next to him finally roused him from his slumber.

"Morning, Laxus." Evergreen smiled gently down at her friend. It was nearing noon and Master Makarov had asked her to wake him. Lucy was stable so now it was time to plan. She had walked in to find him curled over the edge of the Celestial mage's bed, cupping her hand to his cheek in sleep. As much as she wanted to tease him for such a romantic gesture, now really wasn't the time.

"Ever?" Laxus slowly lifted his head and blinked a few times to adjust to the light in the room, "What's going on?"

"Gramps wants to get a plan of action together. We need to find out who did this to Lucy." At the name, Laxus let out a small whimper, memories from the night before flooding his head. He looked down at the hand still clutched in his and traced her arm, noting small cuts and a crap tonne of bruising, lifting his eyes until he reached her face. At some point in the night someone must have come in to remove her ventilator as in its place was a cannula. Though it was a hell of a lot better to see then a huge mask over her face, it still hurt, knowing she was injured enough to need help breathing. Now that he wasn't focused on begging her to live, Laxus took the time to further examine her injuries. Her once porcelain clear skin was marred and mottled all over, small gashes interlaced with blacks, blues, purples and so many other colours. Her arm had been casted and strapped into a sling for her shoulder. He could see where both her legs had been casted under her blanket and thick bandages wrapped around most of her skin, a heavy one of the cut on her throat.

"Laxus?" He hadn't realised Ever had been trying to get his attention, nor did he notice the tear that spilled its way down his cheek. He quickly rubbed his face and looked back up to her.

"Is it still limited to two visitors in here?" she shook her head, "Right, can you get everyone in here?" Ever left briefly and returned with the rest of the Raijinshuu, Gramps and the little Sky Dragon. Before any could say a word, Laxus left his chair and lifted Wendy into a crushing hug. Freed stood shocked as Bickslow helped Makarov lift his jaw off the floor. Evergreen just watched with a small smile as Laxus whispered "Thank you."

Wendy simply beamed up at him tiredly before moving to Lucy's side and lifted her hands over the girl to check her status. Laxus quickly returned to her side and grasped her hand again.

Makarov coughed slightly before he moved to stand at the edge of the bed, careful to avoid jostling to the sleeping girl, "Now that we know Lucy is no longer in danger of succumbing to her wounds, we need to assess the situation and find out who did this to her. Porlyusica stopped by early this morning and apparently, Lucy's magic containers were empty almost to the point of depletion. What I want to know is why they were so low. Does anyone know where her keys are?" Laxus blinked for a moment before reaching into his pocket and bringing them out. Everyone in the room gasped at the sight of them. Each key was crusted with blood but that wasn't the main concern. Small chain-like patterns wrapped around both the handles and the blades, thin black veins leaching from the chain loops into the metal of all fifteen keys on Lucy's ring. Laxus stared dumbfounded. How the hell had he not noticed when he picked them off the floor of her apartment?

"Asshole." Every head swung towards Freed.

"Did…did he just…?" Bicks glanced at everyone else to make sure he hadn't been the only one to hear the world's most polite and respectful man curse. No one had ever heard the Rune Mage swear before.

"Yes, Bickslow, I did say 'asshole' and I'm about to do it again." He reached over and took the keys from Laxus's grip, "Whoever attacked Miss Lucy is a villain of the highest order, not just for the wounds inflicted upon her body. This spell is a crude version of an ancient binding spell. Not only did they injure her, they made sure she was defenceless when they did, and this spell, this bastardized version, it is not just a sealing spell." Everyone cocked their heads in confusion. "You see these veins attached to the chains? They ensure that any magic used on the object inflicts pain on the user. If Miss Lucy had tried to use her keys in the fight-"

"Cosplayer would have been hurt from using her own magic."

Freed nodded at Bickslow's deduction, "A spell like this would have caused excruciating pain, not only to the caster but also to any of her spirits that tried to open their gates." A malevolent aura filled the room at his explanation.

"Gramps, I know Fairies don't kill, but the bastard that did this to Blondie ain't gonna stay breathing when I find him." Everyone expected a rebuttal of Laxus's claim but Makarov stayed silent, nodding slightly as he struggled to reign in his titan form. Sparks had already started flying off the Lightning Slayer, the last thing they needed was a giant hole in the roof of the hospital from Gramps.

"We need a plan. Laxus, your thoughts?"

Laxus ran his free hand through his hair, the other still tangled with Lucy's. A small smile fell upon Wendy's face as she realised his lightning had done no damage to the blonde in the bed, further cementing Gajeel's claim.

"I need everyone except Wendy to head back to the Guild. Gramps, keep this quiet for now but I need Team Natsu, Metal Face and Book Worm. Tell them what we know and let them come see her if they want to. Freed, you'll need to set runes around the office when they hear. Keep sound from leaving and don't let them rampage or leave until they've calmed down." Laxus kept his eyes on Lucy's soft hand as he gave orders, gently stroking her palm with his thumb, "Freed, take her keys and try and find a way to reverse the spell with Levy as soon as you can. They should probably come here first. I need Metal Head and Flame Brain to try and scent out her attacker from her apartment. If they go there first, they won't believe she's alive. There was so much blood…"

Laxus trailed off and Evergreen nudged his shoulder to bring him out of his thoughts, "Laxus, don't lose it on us now."

"Right, thanks." He gave her a small grateful smile before taking a deep breath and getting back to the plan, "Bickslow, whilst they're doing that, scout from above for any clues. Titania and Ice Prick will look for clues inside. Ever, I need you to pick up some things for her. Clothes, hairbrush, that sort of stuff. Also, I know she keeps a box of letters to her mum somewhere. She'll probably want that when she wakes up." Everyone gave him a weird look at that one. "What?"

"How do you know she writes letters to her mother?" Master asked, shoving aside the brief giddiness that erupted at the thought of his grandson and Lucy.

Laxus rolled his eyes, "She told Book Worm, she told me by extension. Dragon Slayer, remember?" The group glanced at Wendy who blushed and nodded a confirmation.

"Is nothing sacred anymore?" Ever huffed, flashing her fan in front of her blushing face at the thought of what the Slayer's must have heard concerning her and a certain manly man.

"I think that's…oh, her book as well! Her team can help you find it." Everyone nodded at the tasks they'd been given, "Wendy should stay here to make sure Blondie is…wait. Gramps, what did the Old Hag say about her magic?"

Makarov shifted uncomfortably under the hardened glare of his grandson, "She said her magic was drained almost to the point of Magical Depletion Syndrome."

"But if Lucy couldn't use her keys then how-"

Laxus's growl cut off Wendy's question, "They took it. The bastard stole her magic."

* * *

Natsu had been sitting at his usual table at the Guild, his arm wrapped around his girlfriend as Gray and Erza were debating whether or not to go check up on their resident Celestial Mage. It was close to two in the afternoon and Lucy was normally in before any of them arrived.

"I still think we should go. It is unlike Lucy to be this late."

"Erza, chill. Lucy can handle herself, okay? She's probably just found a shoe sale or something and got held up."

"Yeah, Erza, the Ice Princess is right. Luce is a badass. She's fine." Erza scowled at the boys before conceding.

"Fine, but if she's not here in the next half hour, I'm going to-"

The doors of the Guild slammed open, cutting off all noise in the hall. Master Makarov stormed through the entrance, closely followed by the Raijinshuu. Natsu suddenly felt sick. Laxus was missing from the group. All first-generation Dragon Slayers had quickly recognised Laxus as Lucy's mate, whether either of them knew it themselves or not. Master looking murderous; the Raijinshuu without their leader; no Lucy. Natsu was not considered smart by any means but this he could figure out.

"Luce," Natsu whispered, standing abruptly and knocking Lisanna from her spot beside him.

"Brats, listen up! I need Gajeel, Levy and Team Natsu to join me in my office immediately!"

* * *

It took exactly five minutes after Master had broken the news and given his instruction before all hell broke loose. Natsu went supernova, boiling one side of the room as Gray's ice dangerously lowered the temperature of the other. Erza had requipped all her swords at once and they were spinning in the air as Gajeel's skin turned to iron. Levy sobbed loudly as Evergreen tried to comfort her. Only Freed, Bickslow and the Master stayed still, anger lacing each expression. After a few more minutes, Freed's runes stopping the destruction of the room, Makarov slammed his enlarged hand down on the rampaging mages in his office.

"Enough!" he released them once he felt Natsu's flames disperse. "I know you are all angered by this news but Lucy needs your help. You may visit her first or go straight to your tasks, but our priority is to find this person and bring them to justice, not be overcome by anger."

"Let's find the bastard before we go see Bunny Girl. Tracks ain't gonna last much longer." Gajeel turned to leave the room, closely followed by everyone minus Freed, Levy and Master.

"Brats, just remember my warning. According to Laxus, her apartment is not a pretty sight right now. Don't let yourselves lose control." A sharp nod from the exiting mages was all he received before they stormed from the building.

"Master, we shall take our leave as well. We will be in the library if you need us." Freed bowed before he offered Levy a hand and gently led her from the room.

Makarov sighed. He was getting too old for this. "Laxus, from what I've seen, you must love her. Please hold onto that, now more than ever."

* * *

"Fuck!" Natsu growled out, a reciprocating growl coming from the Iron Slayer beside him. They hadn't even reached the apartment before he started smelling her blood. Bickslow had taken off on his totems as soon as they left the Guild, leaving the rest to head towards Strawberry Street. As they came to a stop outside Lucy's home, Natsu had to fight down the urge to vomit, the stench of blood staining his nose. Next to him, Gajeel didn't look like he was fairing any better. Erza finally took point and led them up the stairs, requipping a small blade just in case. Everyone could smell the blood now. Evergreen was trying to fan the smell away and Gray was breathing heavily through his mouth.

One good push to the partly closed door was all it took before both dragon slayers lost the fight along with Evergreen. Gajeel had rushed to the sink as Ever ran passed the scene to the bathroom. Natsu being Natsu ran to the window, vomiting his stomach contents into the street below. Erza and Gray merely stood still in the doorway, pale faced and beginning to hyperventilate.

Everything was red. The floor; the walls; parts of the ceiling; everything. Gajeel was the first to gain back control and wiped his mouth on a discarded dish towel as he turned back to face the room. It wasn't necessarily the sight that had caused him to lose his lunch, more the smell of so much drying blood and the fact it had come from the girl he saw as his sister.

"How the fuck is Bunny alive right now?" he asked, slowly making his way to the epicentre of what looked like, and almost was, a homicide scene.

"Laxus found her pretty quickly. Wendy did a lot of work just to get Lucy stable." Ever answered as she made her way over to the pair frozen in the doorway. With a quick whack on the head, both snapped out of their trances. Gray moved to help his rival, not being able to look at the room right now. Erza walked over to Gajeel.

"Evergreen, you should start gathering some of Lucy's belongings. Her novel is in the bottom drawer of the desk, by the way." She moved to the overturned sofa and ran her hand over a large gash mark in the fabric. "Gajeel, can you smell anything?" She watched as the Iron Dragon Slayer took a deep breath and began sorting through the different scents in the room. Natsu soon walked over and began to help as Gray went to help Evergreen pack up some of Lucy's things.

"There!" Natsu shouted, scaring the occupants of the room. He immediately turned heel and began to run back through the open door. Gajeel rolled his eyes but then stiffened as he found what Salamander had. With a quick gesture to Erza, he ran after him.

* * *

The citizens of Magnolia quickly parted as the two Fairy Tail mages ran through the streets as if the hounds of hell were baying at their feet. The scent of Lucy's blood and what Gajeel described as horse shit in human form led them to the edge of the town where they abruptly stopped.

"I don't get it," Natsu said, scratching the back of his head, "One scent becomes three in a single spot then they all vanish?"

"Hey! Found anything?" Bickslow's totems began floating around their heads as he stepped off them and joined the Slayers.

"Yeah, whoever this asshole was, he wasn't alone." Gajeel explained, to both Bickslow and a slow Natsu, "Met two others out here. One must've been a teleportation mage. They just fucking disappeared."

"Shit, anyone you recognise?" Bickslow sent his babies to scan the area, looking for any small clue.

"Not anyone I know." Natsu answered. Both turned to Gajeel who looked extremely pale and scared, "Oi, Iron Dildo, what's up with your face?" Gajeel didn't even respond to the insult.

"Natsu, remember when we fought Sparky during Fantasia?" Noticing the use of his actual name, Natsu just nodded. "This is one shit storm I want to be far away from when Laxus finds this guy."

"Who the hell is it?" Bickslow asked, knowing that it would take a fucking lot for Laxus to go that far off the deep end again.

"Ivan."


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy's patience was really starting to wear thin. If one more person came up to her with a soft 'hey' and pitying expression, she was going to Lucy Kick everyone into the next dimension. Lucy was truly happy for Natsu and Lisanna and she could honestly admit to zero heartbreak following the announcement. Sure, thanks to Mira's insanity a few years back, Lucy may have had a small crush on the Fire Dragon Slayer, but that had evaporated the moment she'd found out he only needed her for Virgo. Since then she'd only seen Natsu as her brother and best friend. But apparently that fact had completely bypassed her entire guild.

"Here you go, Lucy." Mira placed a strawberry smoothie in front of her just as Vijeeter patted her hand and started to moonwalk away towards the brawl that had started in the middle of the hall. Lucy smiled up at the barmaid and took a sip of her drink.

"Thanks, Mira. Amazing as always." Lucy felt her smile become a little bit more real as she turned back to watch her family. Natsu had left Lisanna's side for the first time that night only to immediately punch Gray in the face. This led to Elfman getting hit into Gajeel by a stray attack and from then, it became just like any other night in Fairy Tail.

Lucy slowly sipped on her smoothie as she watched her friends enjoying themselves. Though she had only technically been a member of Fairy Tail for less than a year, ignoring their seven-year sleep on Tenrou Island, Lucy felt as if she had found her true family in life, even those who kept to themselves a lot like the Raijinshuu and Laxus. She would give her life for any of them at a moment's notice.

Just as she finished her drink, Lucy saw Max heading towards her with _that_ smile. Pretending she hadn't seen him, Lucy quickly turned to the bar and gave Mira a quick wave goodbye which was happily returned before practically launching herself off the stool towards the guild doors. She continuously ducked and weaved between flying debris in a practiced routine before swerving off towards Lisanna who was watching with a small smile as her boyfriend got the crap kicked out of him by Gajeel.

"Hey, Lis." Lisanna turned and smiled brightly as Lucy bent to give her a hug.

"Lucy, hi! You leaving already?" Lucy ducked as Elfman flew overhead, Lisanna covering her mouth to keep her giggles from damaging her brother's pride as he barrelled back into the moving whirlwind of limbs in the middle of the room.

"Yeah, there's only so much pity and supportive pats I can take in one night." Lisanna smiled sympathetically at the blonde's plight. She was one of the few who knew about the true relationship between Lucy and Natsu. They were siblings, nothing more. A few weeks after coming back from Edolas, Lisanna had asked Lucy about it, nervous about her answer. Those nerves were eradicated as soon as Lucy had recovered enough breath from laughing to assure her she had no interest in the fire dragon slayer.

"You would have thought they'd have figured it out by now." Lucy shrugged.

"Nah, our guild has the most stubborn members in the whole of Fiore. Once they get an idea in their heads, it won't go away. Anyway, I just wanted to say congrats again and let you know I'm off. Tell your oh so charming boyfriend I said bye for me?" Lisanna quirked an eyebrow at Lucy's description before looking over at Natsu. Suddenly she understood Lucy's quip. Natsu had just pantsed Warren and was now dancing on top of a nearby table with Happy, imitating the telepathy mage's misfortune. She turned back to say bye to the Celestial mage only to find an empty space beside her and the doors quietly shutting behind her.

* * *

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the cold night air. She hadn't meant to skip out on her friend like that but she'd heard someone mention how brave she was by talking to 'the woman who had stolen her heart's love'. Her annoyance peaked and she had to get out of there. Wrapping her arms around herself to ward off most of the chill, Lucy began making her way home. She debated calling out Plue to keep her company but after being swarmed by people tonight, she just wanted to be alone. She felt the keys on her hip warm slightly in comfort and she smiled. They were right, she was never _really_ alone as long as she had her spirits. She sent a quick thank you through the keys and felt an answering hum of support and love.

Smiling softly, Lucy continued her way home, enjoying the peace of the night and the stars above her. Reaching her house, she drew her key from her pocket and let herself in, embracing the sudden rush of warmth that greeted her. From now on, there would be no late-night visitors sneaking into her bed. Natsu could sneak into Lisanna's and endure the wrath of Mira and Elfman instead. Lucy felt relieved and slightly nostalgic at the thought but shook it off and moved over to her couch, taking off her coat. Just as she went to remove her keys from her belt, Lucy felt them being snatched from her grasp. Before she could even register what had happened, a foot collided with her back and sent her flying into the couch, the force causing the furniture to flip and a sickening crack to fill the apartment as Lucy felt her rib give as it collided with the wooden frame of the chair. She landed roughly and barely had time to painfully gasp before someone was leaning over her, grinning as she struggled to gain her bearings.

"Well, well, well. So, this is the great Celestial mage, Lucy Heartfilia. I'll tell you this, you're much prettier than your picture suggests." Lucy glared up at the man leaning over her and with a single motion, lifted her leg and kicked. The man stumbled back from the blow, all traces of previous glee gone from his face. "You're going to pay for that, girlie."

Lucy pushed herself up, ignoring the sharp pain in her ribcage and immediately scanned the area for her keys. The man noticed and held them up, shaking them to make the clink together.

Lucy snarled, "Who the hell are you and what do you want?" He merely laughed at her.

"Well you got one question partially right. Who I am and what _I_ want doesn't matter." He brought his other hand up to enclose her keys and whispered just loud enough for Lucy to hear, " _Signa inferre dolorem pontes orbe_." A soft black glow surrounded the keys before seemingly seeping into the metal. Lucy growled and unfurled her whip, sending the weapon out to snatch her precious keys back. The man just laughed at her again, "Take them, by all means. They won't do you much good anymore." Lucy ignored his threat and immediately retrieved Loke's key.

"Open Gate of the Lion, Leo!" Suddenly, she felt as if her whole body had been submerged in acid. She screamed as every pain sensor in her body lit up as one, dropping her keys in the process. Faintly she could hear Loke's echoing scream in her head. She collapsed on the ground, writhing as she waited for the agony to end. Slowly, she started coming back to her senses. "What the hell did you do to them?!"

"That's not important." The man said as he approached, "All that matters is that your little _friends_ can't come to your rescue." This fact hit Lucy hard. Without her spirits, she was practically defenceless. There was a strange man in her apartment who had attacked her and taken away her method of fighting. There was only one thing Lucy could think of doing at this moment; run. She had quickly launched herself off the ground and was almost to the door before she was yanked back by her hair.

"Now, now, that won't do. I can't have you running away, can I?" She was thrown to the floor by the man and before she could move at all, a scream was ripped from her as he stomped on both her legs with enough force to snap them both. With her mind hazy and her legs impaired, Lucy reached for her last remaining hope; her whip. The man saw this and instead of just kicking the weapon away, he moved to her side. Lucy saw it this time. The man focused some form of magic to his leg and before she could even try and identify his magic, brought it down on her shoulder, another nauseating crack as well as a loud popping reverberating around the room. Lucy couldn't even hear herself scream over the waves of pain flooding her system.

"Now that you can't move, I think it's time to answer your questions." He drew a small blade from his jacket and almost lovingly traced it over her skin, "I'm here for you. My master needs something and apparently, you are the only one who can give it to him. Now, are you going to be a good little fairy and let me take it?" Lucy managed to focus her bleary vision on the man who was now straddling her and did the only thing she could. She spat at him.

"Fuck…you." She could see the anger flare in his eyes before he brought his fist down on her already broken rib. She felt another two break as well as a sharp sensation in her chest. Suddenly, breathing became harder and Lucy knew he'd done some serious damage with that blow.

"Lucky for me, my master doesn't care if you survive this encounter or not. But before we get to the truly fun bit, I'm going to tell you what I'm going to take from you." He lent down until his mouth was by her ear, watching out of the corner of his eye for her reaction. "Your magic."

Lucy felt her heart almost stop at his words, her already ragged breathing struggling to continue. She didn't have long to contemplate it as he suddenly drove his knife into her side. He continued raining blows and cuts across her body until Lucy couldn't move and she felt her pulse weaken. Just before she lost consciousness, the man retrieved a lacrima orb from another pocket and held it in front of her. She saw his mouth move as he activated the magic and Lucy felt pain worse than anything she had experienced in her life as the very essence of her magic was ripped from her. She felt a single tear leave her as her eyelids closed and the world around her stopped.

* * *

When Lucy awoke, every one of her senses felt dulled. She wondered for a moment if she hadn't made it. 'Maybe this is what death is like?' she thought. That is until a steady beeping began to filter through. The beeping grew louder and her head began to pound. Slowly, other things began to come back to her. She could hear soft voices, as if from far away and felt soft fabric covering most of her body, with the exceptions of her legs and right arm which felt heavy and itchy. She tried swallowing and when she realised the extent of how dry her throat was, tried prying her eyes open to search for relief from the desert like conditions in her mouth. At first try, the brightness almost blinded her and she immediately slammed her eyes closed again. Gradually, allowing for her sight to adjust, she opened her eyes. Above her was a tiled ceiling with crappy fluorescent lighting. When Lucy tried to place it but couldn't, a wave of panic overcame her. Where the hell was she? The beeping became faster as her heartbeat elevated. She painfully turned her head and was met with a faded blue wall with various bits of technology attached to it. Lucy stared a little longer at the equipment before realising they had similar bits in the guild infirmary. 'A hospital?" Lucy turned her head the other way to examine the rest of the room and was met with a sight she never thought she would see. A man was sat beside her bed, his blonde head resting against her hand and his scarred face twitching in his sleep as the beeping continued. His eyebrows furrowed and he yawned as he awoke, pushing himself up from his position. He turned towards her and his eyes opened, widening impossibly as his storm blue eyes met her own. 'Laxus?'

"Lucy?"


	6. Chapter 6

Hi everyone! Sorry It's taken so long to put this chapter up but you know how it is. Busy home life and writer's block aren't really conducive to writing fanfiction. But it's here now!

Thank you so much for the well wishers and birthday greetings, and I'm glad so many of you are liking the story. I won't make any promises but hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. I can't believe how many people are following and reviewing. It makes me so happy!

So without further ado...Enjoy chapter 6! xxx

* * *

Master Makarov had returned to the hospital almost as soon as he had finished debriefing Team Natsu and the others. He had stood in the doorway for a moment watching his grandson sit vigil over the celestial mage before pulling up a chair and joining him in his watch. An hour later, Ever walked in carrying bags of Lucy's belongings. Laxus barely glanced up at the two mages following her before returning his gaze to the woman in the bed. Erza had taken one look at Lucy's unconscious form before choking on a sob and leaving again, Makarov following Titania to make sure she was okay. Gray had simply stared for a moment, trying to take in just how badly his sister had been hurt. The blood in her apartment was a good indicator but just seeing her, lying frozen on a hospital bed, covered in gauze and plaster, receiving oxygen through a tube; it made everything that much more real. Swallowing heavily, he sat beside Laxus in Master's vacated chair, for once too shocked to strip. After finding no more clues in the apartment, they had agreed to head to the hospital to wait for the Dragon Slayers, hoping they'd have better news. Evergreen had briefly explained that the Raijinshuu had been called instead of Team Natsu on Laxus's request and that they shouldn't question his behaviour in regards to the situation. She had given them a cryptic look to match to the equally cryptic statement and left it at that. As the men sat next to the blonde, Evergreen began unpacking Lucy's things; folding her clothes and placing them in the small chest given for personal belongings, resting her box of letters on the bedside table along with a small selection of books she'd taken from her shelves, putting Lucy's toiletries in the adjoining bathroom and hiding her manuscript in a drawer along with her writing supplies. Freed and Levy still had her keys so once she had finished unpacking, Ever began adjusting the room, too anxious to sit still. She straightened Lucy's blankets and fluffed her pillows as much as she could before taking the hospital standard vase of wilting flowers to get them changed and acquire some sheets for the pull out sofa bed for Laxus. She knew there was no way he was leaving anytime soon and there was no need for him to be uncomfortable. Shortly after she left, Master returned with a red eyed Erza and the four of them sat in silence waiting for any news the Dragon Slayers and Bickslow might bring.

* * *

Once Natsu, Gajeel an Bickslow returned, they immediately pulled Makarov out of the room and far enough down the hall to be out of Laxus's hearing range.

"Well brats, did you find anything?" Natsu and Gajeel exchanged strained glances as Bickslow sighed and headed back towards the nurse's station, muttering something about calling Freed. Natsu scratched the back of his head before turning back to master with a sigh of his own.

"Gramps, how good is your control over your magic right now?" Master Makarov began making indignant spluttering noises before Gajeel rolled his eyes and decided to just come out with it.

"It was Ivan." A moment of stunned silence was all they had before the whole of Magnolia was shaking with rage

"WHAT!? THAT BASTARD! HOW DARE HE ATTACK A MEMBER OF MY GUILD! I DON'T CARE IF HE IS MY SON, I'LL KILL HIM!" At this point both Gajeel and Natsu were holding the master down, barely winning against the small man's struggles. They could see him begin to fluctuate between normal and giant and tried to drag him out of the hospital so the building wouldn't be destroyed. Luckily, they were thrown back as purple runes quickly surrounded the Guild Master.

Everyone except Laxus had run out as soon as they felt the building shake and came across the Dragon Slayers panting heavily with exhaustion, Freed, Bickslow and Levy approaching the group and Master Makarov throwing a tantrum within the cage Freed had erected. Erza drew her sword.

"Would someone care to explain what the hell is going on here?" Everyone instinctively took a step back. Even Makarov had stopped his rage fit at the look in Titania's eyes. "I would appreciate if you would stop making a scene in the middle of the hospital. Lucy is recovering. We cannot disrupt her healing with such ruckus!"

"I apologise Erza. I gathered that master has been given the news and I saw need to restrain him from doing any structural damage to the building." Freed said as he quickly undid the runic prison.

"News? As in they found out who…" Evergreen trailed off, not wanting to have to say it again. Gajeel went and stood by Levy who once again had silent tears streaming down her face.

"Yeah, we found the bastard. Bicks got Freed so we can stop Sparkplug from destroying everything when he finds out." Everyone nodded in agreement and let him explain what they'd found. To say the fairies were angry was an understatement: they were out for blood.

* * *

It had taken Freed multiple runes to contain Laxus when they told him and over an hour of him in Dragon Force shooting lightning and swearing death upon his father before he could control his magic again. That had been a week ago, and since then Laxus had not left Lucy's side. They'd told the guild and almost immediately the room had been filled with fairies coming to see their Celestial Mage. It was annoying but he had probably less right to be there then they did so he kept quiet. Soon, the guild had stopped visiting and were out hunting down his father to bring him to justice. Only the Raijinshuu, Wendy and Laxus had stayed behind. Ever and Freed brought him food regularly though he didn't eat much and Bickslow took it upon himself to tell him he stunk so that he would at least take showers in the adjoining bathroom if he wasn't going home.

Lucy had been improving slowly. Most of her internal injuries were completely gone and the bruising had begun to fade. The day they finally took her off the oxygen, Laxus felt like crying with relief. He'd finally fallen asleep beside her bed, Lucy's hand clasped to his cheek as it had been anytime he passed out, when he felt slight movement coming from the bed. He tried to ignore it, tried grasping at the remains of his dream but the increase in beeping finally drew him from his slumber. He pushed himself up, yawning as he stretched before looking at the blonde in the bed.

Suddenly, everything froze. She was awake. 'Oh, please don't let this be another dream.' Laxus thought. Over a week had passed with nothing from the Celestial Mage and now, her she was, just staring up at him.

"Lucy?" His voice was still rough with sleep and he briefly thought he saw something flash in her eyes before she opened her mouth and nothing came out. Laxus quickly reached for the jug on the counter and poured her a glass of water. Lifting her the best he could, trying not to aggravate her injuries and wincing at the brief flash of pain that crossed her face, Laxus brought the glass to her lips.

"Small sips. You haven't had anything to eat or drink in a while so go slow." She made a small noise in agreement before slowly draining the glass. Once she was finished, Laxus gently lowered her back down and took his seat again, resisting the urge to take her hand in his as had been the norm whilst she was unconscious. Lucy tried to speak again and cleared her throat as only a croak came out.

"Laxus? What happened?" She watched as he sighed and ran a hand through his already dishevelled hair. He looked rough, as if he hadn't slept in days. There were black bags under his eyes and his face was strained. She had already worked out that she was in the hospital but why was Laxus Dreyar of all people sitting beside her bed, looking more worn then she had ever seen the mighty lightning god.

"Blondie, what was the last thing you remember?" Lucy's brow furrowed as she thought. An echo of the pain from having her magic ripped from her shuddered through her body and she winced as tears welled in her eyes. "Shit! Please don't cry!" Laxus reached forward and grasped her hand as her breathing sped up again. He pushed the button above her bed and whispered soothing words as she spiralled into a panic attack. As she began hyperventilating, memories of what happened to her flooding her mind, the door burst open and in rushed the doctor followed by Wendy, Carla and the Raijinshuu. The doctor quickly moved to check her vitals as Wendy began using her magic, reducing her pain and sending calming waves through her body.

After a few long minutes, Lucy finally calmed down, her heart rate and breathing returning to normal. She gave a small smile to everyone in the room and unconsciously squeezed the hand still holding hers. Laxus felt his heart skip a beat but he only squeezed back, giving her silent reassurance.

"I'm okay now. Sorry."

"There's no need to apologise, Miss Heartfilia. After the trauma you've suffered, it's understandable to feel a little unstable right now." Every eye turned towards the doctor who was currently checking the read out from one of the machines. Once he had the information he needed, he turned to face his patient and gave her a small smile.

"My name is Doctor Ashworth. It's nice to see you're finally awake." He quickly flashed a small light in her eyes and jotted a few things on her clipboard before pulling up a chair and sitting beside the bed. "You were brought into the emergency room just over a week ago, by Mister Dreyar here and immediately taken into surgery for your injuries. Luckily for you, you have a very gifted healer as a friend." Lucy smiled at Wendy as Bickslow ruffled the young mages hair, her face blooming a heavy shade of scarlet.

"Most of your internal wounds were healed by Miss Marvel but you must take it easy in regards to some injuries. You may feel some aches around your ribs where they were broken and still slightly bruised and your shoulder was dislocated. We managed to pop it back into place but it will still be sore for a while. However, your right arm and both your legs suffered some severe breaks. Miss Marvel attempted to heal them but you will still have at least another three weeks of healing in the casts. Magically repairing the bones altogether would have greatly weakened the overall structure of your limbs and made you prone to more breaks and damage in the future." Laxus felt the grip in his hand tighten again and the anxious yet resigned look in her eyes caused his chest to hurt slightly. "For now, I will leave you in the company of your guildmates and I will be back to check on you again in an hour or so."

As Doctor Ashworth left, the Fairy Tail mages took their places in the seats they had claimed over the past week. Wendy climbed gingerly onto the bed by Lucy's legs, careful not to jostle them as Carla sat in her lap. Evergreen fluffed Lucy's pillow before taking a seat on the left, close enough to grab whatever the Celestial mage might need. Freed took his seat next to Laxus and Bickslow dragged the sofa over to the bed before lounging across it, his feet dangling off the edge. Lucy giggled at the sight, wincing briefly at the lingering pain in her ribs.

At the sound of her laugh, five little totems flew in front of her, bobbing up and down as they imitated her giggles. "Well hello there, Babies." She gently lifted her good arm from Laxus's grasp and help her palm out. One of them flew down, a smiling face painted on its little wooden body and landed on her hand, purring as the others whizzed around her head. She laughed at their antics and looked to Bickslow. "Are you doing this?" Bickslow himself looked shocked at their actions and shook his head in a daze before giving her a tongue lolling grin.

"Nah, that's all you Cosplayer." The totems copied his words, chirping "Cosplayer" as they continued their acrobatics. "Never seen them do that to anyone but me before. Must like ya." His grin turned a little lecherous as his gaze lowered. "Of course, who wouldn't with a rack like tha-Ow!"

Lucy watched in amusement as Evergreen wacked him repeatedly with her fan yelling "Pervert" as Wendy giggled behind her hand and Laxus scowled at his friend. Freed just sat there watching the scene with disinterest.

"So," Lucy said as she turned her attention back to the happy face still on her palm, "What's your name?" The room froze at that. None of the Raijinshuu had ever seen anyone ask for the totems names and now that they thought about it, Laxus, Evergreen and Freed didn't even know the names of Bickslow's little menaces. The little dolls began spinning around her, chirping happily, including the one that had just vacated her hand. In turns, they quickly sat on her hand and said their name before taking off again. "Pappa!" "Peppe!" "Pippi!" "Poppo!" "Puppu!"

"It's nice to finally meet you properly." The totems cheered before settling themselves Lucy's pillow, surrounding her head as they all purred. As she looked up she found the room staring at her in shock. "What?" Nobody answered her and Freed cleared his throat to gather her attention.

"Miss Lucy, as the Doctor mentioned, Laxus found and brought you here," This earned Laxus a confused glance from the Blonde, "but we are still in the dark as to what exactly happened. If it is possible, could you tell us what occurred?" Freed inquired. He had promised Master Makarov that he would try and give the searching Fairy Tail mages any clues as soon as he could and this was the best way to do so.

Lucy grimaced and rubbed at her chest remembering her magic being taken, "It's all a bit fuzzy but I remember getting back from the party and this man was in my apartment. He attacked me and took my-"

A sudden thought hit her and she launched herself upwards, ignoring the sharp agony that lanced through her body and the totems that flew away from their resting places around her.

"My keys!" Everyone could see the panic in her eyes and Laxus gently tried to push her back into the bed so she couldn't aggravate her injuries.

"Oi, Blondie. Calm down. Freed's got your keys. They're fine." Laxus held eye contact as he tried to send her silent reassurances. It seemed like it worked as her brown orbs focused on his and slowly lost the crazed fear in them. A clinking noise drew her gaze away from his and Laxus let out a quiet sigh of relief as he let go of her and regained his seat next to her. Freed drew the keys from his pocket and handed them to Lucy.

"There was a spell placed on it but Miss Levy and myself managed to break the seal two days ago. We have not heard from any of your spirits but you should be able to call them out as you did before."

Lucy stared at the small pieces of gold and silver in her hands before bursting into tears. Nobody really knew what to do but Wendy crawled gently up the bed until she could put her arms around her sister figure and bury her head in her neck.

"Cosplayer, what's wrong?" Even Bickslow had sat up from his comfy position in confusion. Why was she crying. She got her keys back, shouldn't she be happy. Through her sobs, Lucy managed to choke out a few words but even Wendy and Laxus with their dragon hearing couldn't catch them.

"What did she say?" Ever asked quietly. Laxus shrugged his shoulders before gently nudging Lucy into speaking.

"Blondie, we didn't catch that."

"I can't call them out! That bastard stole my magic! I can never see my friends again!" With that she fell back into her sobs, her cries echoing in the silent room. Laxus suddenly understood. She knew what the attacker had done, it was why she kept rubbing her chest, the point where a mages magic was generated. The Doctor had told her about her injuries but nobody had mentioned her magic. She must think it was all gone.

"Blo-Lucy. Calm down, you still have your magic." Her eyes shot up to meet his, choking on the sob trying to escape her. "The Old Hag came in to check on you. He took some of your magic but not all of it. Wendy's been monitoring it and your levels should be good as new in a few days. You can still use your keys." Lucy watched Laxus, looking for any hints of deceit but found none. With the pain she felt, she thought he had drained every drop in the attack but if he didn't and Freed and Levy had fixed her keys, then that meant… Quickly sorting through her keys one handed, she finally found what she was looking for.

"Open Gate of the Lion, Leo!"


	7. Chapter 7

I'm sorry this chapter is so short but hopefully you'll forgive me. I'm already working on the next one so I'll make it extra good to thank you for your patience! Love you all! Enjoy, Fairies...

* * *

"Open Gate of the Lion, Leo!" Everyone paused with baited breath as Lucy finished the incantation, waiting for the golden glow that signalled Loke's arrival. Instead, nothing happened. The Raijinshuu and Wendy exchanged worried glances at each other whilst Lucy looked at her Gate Key in shock. Laxus opened his mouth to suggest that maybe her magic levels were still too drained when the entire room began to shake. The Fairy Tail mages took protective stances around the bed as the walls and ceiling fell away. The world dimmed as the night sky itself encased them all, shooting sparks around them and glowing faintly. Suddenly a huge mass descended and stopped before them, levitating amongst the stars. Laxus growled in warning as the figure took shape but stopped instantly as Lucy grabbed his arm. She answered his questioning look with a small shake of her head, tears in her eyes. The two groups merely stared at each other for a few dragging moments before Lucy spoke up.

"Hello, Stache Face." The giant gave a small pained smile at her greeting.

"Hello, Old Friend. I am glad to see you are healing well." Lucy merely smiled at him, waiting for an answer as to his appearance instead of Loke. When he didn't continue, she asked.

"Not that it isn't great to see you but why are you here? Where's Loke? Is he alright?" Lucy's voice hitched slightly at the last question. The Spirit King gave her a pitying look.

"I'm sorry my Old Friend, but Leo the Lion was hurt greatly during your attack. He is alive but gravely wounded and is still being healed, as are Virgo and Aquarius. It would seem they attempted to breach their gates to aid you and felt the effects of the spell themselves." Lucy gasped and covered her mouth as she began crying again. "Whilst I wish not to upset you further after your ordeal, I have to do what is right for my subjects." Laxus moved closer to the Celestial Mage, not liking where this was going. "The last time a version of this spell was used, it caused a rift between our two worlds and nearly started a war between our people. Many spirits were injured and a few have been trapped in our realm ever since, their keys destroyed by crude versions that did more damage than intended. It is because of this that I must act now." By now everyone in the room had tensed, each overcome by a sense of foreboding. "Until the man who cast the spell and any others who may have the knowledge to perform it are apprehended, I must forbid the use of your keys and confiscate the keys under your contract as well as any you may contract until this time has passed. We will be watching and waiting for a time they can be returned to you. I am sorry, Old Friend." Before anyone could say anything, the room began to shake again, the sky retreating from inside the room. The Spirit King began to fade and as he left, the keys in Lucy's hand glowed too. She grasped at them but they became translucent and incorporeal as they faded out of their world.

"No, no, no, nooooo!" Lucy screamed as she watched them disappear. She patted them sheets around her with her good arm in hopes she was just imagining things, that she had a bad dream and merely dropped the keys. She quickly became hysterical when she couldn't find them and began thrashing around on the bed, aggravating her injuries. Laxus quickly reached over to pin her down.

"Bicks! Help!" Bickslow grabbed her casted legs and held her down as Laxus held down her shoulders. "Wendy, you need to knock her out, now!" Wendy didn't move, frozen after the event that just took place and the sight of her sister in such anguish. Luckily Freed stepped in, drawing his sword and quickly writing a rune that immediately knocked Lucy unconscious. Bickslow and Laxus slowly let go of the blonde and collapsed into the closest chairs. For someone so small and with so many injuries, she sure was strong.

"I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Hey, It's okay, Wendy. We understand." Evergreen gave the crying girl a hug, "I think we're going to go for a walk. We'll be back later. Just let us know if you need anything." She received three quick nods before steering the young Dragon Slayer from the room.

The men sat watching the girl on the bed for a little while until Freed stood, pulling Bickslow with him, "We will go to the Guild and let Master know what has happened. I will also speak to Dr. Ashworth and get him to check in in a short while. Miss Lucy may have provoked her injuries." With that, Freed swiftly exited the room. Bickslow paused on his way out, patting Laxus on the shoulder.

"Cosplayer's strong, Boss Man. She'll be okay and we'll get her keys back for her, you know that." Laxus didn't reply, just placed his hand briefly on top of Bickslow's before retaking Lucy's hand in his. As soon as he heard the door shut behind the Seith Mage, Laxus dropped his head on the bed and felt a tear escape him. The churning emotions he felt inside must be nothing compared to what Lucy was feeling. Somehow, that thought just made his pain even worse.

"I'm sorry, Blondie. I'm so sorry."


End file.
